Coming Home
by justagirlwithwordyideas
Summary: Maya and Lucas had a great relationship. It was wanted and admirable...until they broke up. When Maya finds out she's pregnant, how does their whole world change? Will they reconvene and make it happily through this? Or will a rouge car have their getting better life crumbling at their knees? Full length companion story to 'Making Home'.
1. Writing Letters

**A/N: thanks for choosing to read this story, I should update about every three to five days. Make sure to check the point of view and date of the chapters.** _Also, writing in italics is the person narrating thoughts._ Underlined writing is texting.

* * *

 _ **Maya POV~ 8/01/18**_

I stood frozen in my bathroom, staring back at my reflection in the mirror. My stomach was rolling with nerves and fear. The little white stick I clutched in my hands held the tellings of my future. My knuckles were white I was holding onto it so tight. My timer let out a shrill ring, that I silenced with a tap on my phone screen. I turned my hand to look at the test.

Two pink lines. Pregnant. These two little lines just ruined my life, my future was now taken up by diapers and swaddlers. My worst fear was warping into reality, quickly. I was pregnant at eighteen, a senior in high school. I stuff the test into the depth of my purse and leave the apartment so I can catch the subway to Riley's house on time.

The motion of the subway sways my stomach and I have to talk myself out of throwing up right then and there. Once I get out of the cramped train and I start walking, the uneasiness goes away but as I turn the corner to Riley's fire escape it comes right back. I barely grasp her garbage can in my arms when I dry heave.

I cough a few more times but Riley runs up behind me and starts rubbing my back, which relaxes my stomach.

"Are you ok, Peaches?" she asks, handing me a tissue to wipe my face.

"No, I've just been feeling sick recently," I say, ignoring how heavy the positive test feels in my bag.

"Oh no. You should have some toast for breakfast, let's go," she says opening the door and looking at me expectantly. I stand up and follow her to the kitchen keeping my bag hugged to my chest.

"Morning Maya!" Topanga calls never looking up from the stove.

"Morning Topy," I call back sliding onto the bench next to Auggie and ruffling his hair. He greets me through a mouth of pancake. _Maybe a little boy will be fun._

I finish eating quickly and quietly, the Mathews family is bustling around me but it feels good to be distracted. "Topy, can I talk to you?" I ask her as she is packing lunches for Auggie and Riley.

Her eyebrows furrow but she nods. "Cory, come finish the kids' lunches I need to talk with Maya," she requests, pulling me into her bedroom and closing the door. "What's up Warrior?"

"I messed up," I start with.

"Did you not do your homework? Did you punch you half-sister again?" she rattles of, looking pensive. I shake my head.

I take a deep breath. "I'm pregnant. I think I'm pregnant at least. It says I'm pregnant." I stumble through the confession but manage to produce the test and wave it in front of Topanga's face.

She laughs and grabs my wrist. I can tell she's trying to read the test but can't, she grabs it from my hands and examines it. She nodded. "Yeah, I'd say your pregnant. Have you made an appointment with an ob yet?"

I shake my head. "Aren't you mad or disappointed or angry?"

"Of course not honey, I was barely older than you when I had Riley. I was 19-almost-20. What is important right now however is getting you an ob appointment… and handling Cory's reaction." She says. I nod and relief floods through me. Ms Mathews opinion was my most feared on this, but turns out I had no reason to worry.

"Thank you, Ms Mathews."

"You are very welcome Miss Maya. I'll text you when I make the appointment." she says, smiling motherly and leaving the room.

/||\\\/||\\\/|||\

Ms Mathews' support convinced me to tell Lucas I was having a baby. Not Riley, Riley would never understand… well maybe she would. But not even her undeniable confidence in me could stop me from wondering what I had gotten into.

At lunch I was sitting with Zay, Riley, Lucas, Farkle and Smackle. They were discussing the newest history assignment-to write a letter to someone we've wronged explaining how and why. And for extra credit we can write two.

"Maya, do you know who you're writing to?" Farkle asks me.

I nodd. "Yeah. Who are you guys writing to?"

"I'm writing to Vanessa," Zay laments, dramatically tossing his head back.

"I'm writing to Mr Matthews," Farkle and Smackle say.

"I'm going to write to Auggie," Riley says.

Lucas stays quite and I don't blame him, our friends can be nosy.

 _And I'm going to write to Lucas because I'm pregnant and might make the wrong decisions, and to my baby because I'm definitely going to make some wrong decisions._

Then my phone beeped, silencing our friend group. I looked down, it was Topanga. Hey there Maya, hope your hanging in. make sure to eat and drink lots of water. I made you an appointment for today at 3:15. You really should consider telling Riley and Lucas. ;)

"Who was that?" asked Riley, a little bitingly, like I'm not allowed to be texted my anyone but her.

"My mom." I lie to her.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

We're in Mr Matthews' class when I start feeling queasy. I try to focus on my breathing and take slow sips from my water bottle and eventually it fades away.

"Alright class, that's today's lesson. If you haven't already, you should start writing and editing your letters. You can get envelopes from my desk and form a pile of sealed letters once your done," he said, opening a newspaper.

Besides me Riley flipped through her notebook until she found a page she deemed good enough and started writing. Farkle and Smackle exchanged ideas on sentence structure and grammar, behind me Lucas hummed as her wrote. I couldn't really focus and but I still tried.

Dear baby,

This is your Momma writing, my names is Maya and I am 18-years-old. I just found out about you and have an appointment today to see you. I'm going to tell your Daddy about you once I'm done writing these blasted letters. I don't know if you're a boy or girl but I think I'll love you anyway. I know I'm going to mess up while I'm your Mommy but I promise I'm trying. I'm so young and don't really know what comes with parenting but I plan on trying my best.

Love, Mommy

I opened to another piece of paper and started writing another letter.

Dear Mr Mathews,

I'm sorry you have to find out this way. I'm pregnant, I know you had such great expected such great things from me. I'm sorry to let you down. I don't plan on dropping out of school, in fact I'm even more determined to do well. I want to become a teacher, like you. History. Taught through the students. I'm really sorry Mr Mathews and I hope you know how much I look up to you.

Love, Maya

And one more letter.

Dear Lucas,

We have always had a complicated relationship, pushing our feelings away for Riley. Until we were allowed to be together and it was amazing. I loved every second of being your girlfriend and was more distraught than I let on when we broke up. We made a little mistake along the way, people make mistakes all the time but this one is big. Luckily I' ll have told you this in person by the time you read this but if you happen to miss the conversation, we're pregnant. I don't know how far along but we should know that after the appointment. I really am sorry for pulling you into this but if there is anything Ms Mathews has taught me it's to not keep secrets about people from them. I love you, I think I told you that while we were dating. But then we broke up and kind of stopped talking. But I don't think I ever stopped loving you and knowing that I'm having this baby just kind of intensifies that.

Love, Maya

I walked to Mr Mathews desk to get two envelopes for the letters. In one I put Baby and Mr Mathews letters. In the other I put Lucas'. I dropped them on the small stack of letters on Mr Mathews' desk. "May I talk to Lucas outside, sir?" I whispered to the history professor and he nodded.

I stood over Lucas' desk and grabbed his forearm which made him look up. I gave it a tug and looked towards the door. He got the hint, stood up and followed me into the hallway.

There was a beat of awkward silence, the same one that had been following us since our breakup.

"I'm pregnant," I said when it was clear he was capable of standing in silence all day.

"Why are you telling me this, Maya?" He sounded bothered, he looked up instead of at me which made me huffy and puffy for some reason.

"Because this is big. Why are you so annoyed?" I challenged.

"Because we broke up and in the.. What?... two and a half months we've been apart you got knocked up. You always pushed away the thought of having a baby with me, even in the future." _Ohhhhh._ He said this looking dead at me which was somehow worse than him looking not at me.

"Let me rephrase that. We're pregnant," I tried again, pushing a hand against my stomach.

He nodded a few times, mouth slightly open, eyes understanding now. "How do you know it's mine?"

I shook my head. "What do you mean, Lucas?"

"What about Brandon, Maya?"

"What about Brandon?" _This guy is crazy._

"How do you know Brandon isn't the father?" He sat down on a nearby bench and I followed suit.

I've never spoken to Brandon. I've never dated Brandon. I've never had sex with Brandon, Lucas. Where did you get him from?" My voice contained a chuckle that I couldn't shake. This whole situation was rather ridiculous.

"I thought we broke up because of Brandon," he confessed, quietly, looking down.

"I thought we broke up because of Riley."

"Are we supposed to get back together now?"

"I don't know. Just come with me to the appointment today. Please?" I asked softly.

He nodded. "Of course, can't abandon you now," he said, looking over the maze of lockers.

"Actually, you can," I said, standing and walking towards the classroom.

"But I wouldn't," he said. Very, very quietly.


	2. Meeting Baby

_**Lucas' POV~~1/8/17**_

Maya and I went back inside the classroom and when I sat down crossed out my entire letter, flipped the page and started a new one.

Dear Maya,

I'm so sorry for doing this to you. I can only imagine how this feels for you, physically and mentally. I can also only imagine how hard it's going to be for you to have this baby; if you, ya know go through with this pregnancy. I can't imagine not loving this baby and I only found out about it seconds ago.

I promise never to leave you two (hopefully only two) and give you guys anything you ever need. Maya, I'm so sorry we broke up on conflicting terms. I hope we can get back together, for us or for the baby, but mostly for us.

Love, Lucas.

Followed by an extra credit letter.

Dear Mamma,

You're going to have my head for this. I got a girl pregnant. She isn't showing yet so she can't be too far along. I really do love her, she was the one I dated for almost five years until last November. I hope we can get back together so we can support the baby better? Can we keep the baby? I mean I know ultimately that's maya's choice but I really want you to support her in this. She means the world to me and she is carrying the most important thing I've ever called mine.

Mamma, I'm so sorry I let you down like this.

Love, Lucas.

I sealed them into envelopes and dropped them on Mr Mathews' desk as the bell rang. In the hallway I pulled Riley aside, dragging her into a corner by the locker rooms.

"What's up, Lucas?" she asked sweetly.

"What are we?" I asked bluntly. I didn't have time to mess around with other girls now.

"Well, you know I really like you and I was hoping to be something more than friends, ya know? How do you feel? What are we to you?" she asked naively. It hit me suddenly that she must not have knoe what was going on with Maya.

"I'm in love with Maya and I wanted to clear that up with you because I want to ask her back out." I said. He shoulders sagged and her entire body deflated.

"Oh. well, that's good for you. You guys were great together, you should be happy. You deserve to be happy." She nodded a few times pulling the left corner of her lip up in a disappointed smile her nose was pulled in like she was about to cry.

"Riley, you're my friend, we can still be friends-"

"Maybe Lucas, I'll talk to you later." She walked away, her hair flowing out behind her she was moving so fast.

I slouched back against the wall and closed my eyes. I has just crushed her innocent heart into pieces, and she would probably hate Maya for this. As the late bell rang I got back up and wandered to class.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

Maya was standing by my locker when I arrived there after the last class of the day. Her arms were crossed and she was leaning against my locker legs crossed in front of her.

"Hey there, Other one," I greeted her, scooting her over a bit so I could toss some books into my locker.

"Hey Ranger, let's go, come on," she said. Her voice was tired and gravelly, but she pushed forward and started walking.

We walked in mostly silence because I could tell Maya was tired and very, very irritable. She dragged her feet as she walked, tripping over many cracks in the sidewalk and grabbing my arm for support; just like she used to do when we were together. The walk was much further than I expected and I now regret not offering to drive us. As the walk drew on Maya leaned against me, closing her eyes and trusting me to guide her. We finally reached the hospital and entered the women's and children's ward. We went up three stories in the elevator and lazily walked towards the reception desk. Maya checked in keeping her head propped up on her wrist, she took the clipboard the receptionist handed her and practically dragged herself to an empty chair. I sat down next to her.

"Fill it out Hee-Haw," she mumbled, tossing it in my general direction.

I took the board from her and started writing but tried to keep her awake. "You can't go to sleep now Maya. What's your birthday?"

"You know the answer to that Huck, and yes I can and will. Wake me up when it's time." And with that she was out.

I kept filing out everything I knew about Maya and did my portion of the questions. I had to leave a few blank regarding Kermit but other than that, she was right, I knew everything. She was asleep on my shoulder so I couldn't bring the board up or really move. About a good twenty minutes later the nurse came out and called Maya's name. She didn't budge.

"Maya, wake up. It's time for you to see the doctor." Nothing. "Let's go see the baby,Shortstack." Nada. "Hart, wake up or I will toss you over my shoulder and carry you in there!" I said, lightly pushing her off my should her and poking her,

"I'm up, I'm up," she said, jumping out of the chair. A lady a few chairs down laughed and I took two long strides to catch up with Maya's frenzied pace.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

They took some blood from Maya, a urine sample, her vitals etc., etc. The nurse told us to hang tight and wait for the technician and doctor to come in.

I sat on the table with Maya and she slouched over my shoulder and whined exhaustedly.

"Don't go back to bed, missy," I mock scolded her and she just grumbled something into my chest.

The door swung open then and the doctor giggled like the lady in the waiting room did. "Exhaustion one of your symptoms, miss?"

She yawned largely and nodded. She talked back and forth with the doctor and ultrasound tech for a while.

"Alright, Lucas, Maya. I'm tech Julia I work with Doctor Gilly. The hormone levels in your blood Maya definitely show pregnancy, but let's do a confirming ultrasound." Maya lied back on the bed and lifted her shirt so the tech could spread gel across her abdomen. The tech worked silently for a few minutes. "Alright, the size of the baby is about twelve weeks sized. I'm putting your due date at July twenty-second." The doctors cleaned Maya up and told us to head out whenever we were ready.

"Do you see the baby, Hee-Haw?" Maya whispered.

"It's bigger than I expected," I admitted.

She nodded in agreeance. "Well, let's go," she said after a beat of silence. This time I nodded and followed her out of the room and to the reception desk where she book her next appointment and was handed an envelope with the ultrasound pictures in it.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

"Look at that little onesie!" Maya practically screamed, halting suddenly and pointing into the window of a little shop. The onesie in question was white with thin, hand-writing like word on the front that said 'Cutest Little Asshole'.

"You're going to put our baby in a onesie that accuses it of being an asshole?" I asked her, shaking my head but already opening the door for her.

"Have you ever spent the night with a baby?" she aske me with her eyes wide open as she grabbed a onsie on a hanger and began wondering the store. "How 'bout this one?" she held up a pale blue, long sleeved shirt that said 'Are these people really my relatives?' I laughed but nodded. She smiled and skipped - Maya skipped - over to another rack of clothes.

"Look at this one!" she pointed to a flyer that advertises customized due date onesies.

"But we don't know their name yet." Maya picked up a pink onesie with a tiara and made puppy eyes. "You can't get that one Short Stack, we don't know if we're having a girl."

"Fine," she fake pouted and put the little outfit back. "But promise we'll come back when we know the gender?"

I nodded, guiding her to the check out counter and pulling out my wallet.

"Hello there, dears." The cashier said. She bagged the onsies. "Are you two expecting?"

Maya practically jumped up at the question. She laid a hand on her barely showing bump and nodded, a large smile lighting up her face.

"Are you two excited?" The lady handed Maya the bag and smile kindly.

"Scared as fuckkkkk," Maya said, her eyes where shining with honesty and the lady let out a hearty chuckle.

"You should be. Good luck youngins." The older woman waved at us as we thanked her and left.

"So tired," Maya groaned as we resumed our walk.

"Will ice cream make you feel better?"

"Hell yeah," she leaned against me and tilted her head back so I could see her smile. We veered of the main side walk and cut through side streets to et to central park. Once we were there we jogged to the ice cream cart that Maya loved. She panted as she came to a stop.

"Can I have a choco taco, please?" she asked the man running the cart. He nodded and pulled one from the portable freezer.

"I'll have a strawberry shortcake bar, sir," I said pulling out my wallet. He nodded again and handed me the frozen treat.

Maya folded her lips in and shook her head. "I got it," she said, opening her purse. She dug around for a minute before looking up beat red. "So, maybe I don't got it."

I gave her a small smile and tossed the man fifteen dollars. We walked to a bench and sat down, enjoying out ice cream. Maya ate slowly savoring every bite, while I ate quickly picturing the box of these Mamma had in the freezer. "Will you go out with me on Friday?"

Her eyes flicked up, her mouth never moving from the ice cream. "Friday, huh?"

I nodded. She put her left hand on the bump that seemed more prominent in this angle. She licked her ice cream taco again and then her lips.

"What time do you want to pick me up?"

"I'll pick you up at seven bring your camera." I crumpled my wrapper in my hands. I saw her face perk into a smile.

"See you then, Huckleberry."


	3. In Love, Maybe

**A/N: Names suggestions?**

* * *

 _ **Maya's POV~1/12/18**_

I had my date with Lucas today and I felt like everything was tense with Riley today. We were sitting in Mr Matthews' class working on our letters or, in my case, doodling and pretending I hadn't dropped a bomb in my letter to the teacher. He stood up abruptly and walked around from his desk.

"Class," he said, scanning his eyes over us.

"Yes," we all said, looking up to meet his eyes.

"Sometimes people make mistakes. Like accidentally dropping a deadly disease in the New World. When you drop something like that you don't apologize, you hide and never bring it up until it's forgotten by everybody. Sometimes, people drop their soup on your feet. Then they apologize, help you clean your feet and move on.

"Some of you wrote letters to me that were like dropping a deadly disease in my developing society. It was tragic and disastrous." I almost felt him saying my name to the class, so I tried so slouch further into my chair. "Some people wrote to apologize for spilling their lunch on my means of transportation. You know who you are, now your assignment for the rest of the period is to find someone in the room and tell them something you've been keeping from them.

"Everyone, keep open minds. Your time starts now." he walked back to his chair. I turned to Riley and was about to speak when. "Miss Hart please come here."

"Yes, Mr Mathews?" I asked as I stepped up to his desk.

"Are you going to tell Riley?"

"I planned on doing it right now. Do you think she'll be mad. I mean technically we were dating when it happened. It's not like I had him cheat," I said.

"She should understand perfectly. She is your best friend after all. Good luck."

I nodded and thanked him and went back to my seat. "Riles, I have something to tell you," I said, grabbing her attention.

"Did Lucas ask you out again? Yet?" she asked excited for me, I hoped she wasn't faking it.

"Actually he did, we have a date today. But there's something else."

"Ohhh. A surprise what is it?" her whole body shimmered in excitement. I grasped tighter onto the needle I was about to shatter her bubble with.

"I'm going to have a baby," I said.

Her eyebrows shot up and her jaw dropped into an open smile. "Really? Are you going to keep it? What are you going to name it?"

I put a shushing finger to my lips. And she clamped a hand over her mouth. I raised my hand. Mr Mathews nodded. "Can I talk to a few people outside?" I asked. He nodded again. I pinched Lucas and nodded to Riley and said Farkle and Zay names.

Once we were in the hallway Riley practically popped in excitement. "Ohmigod. Ohmigod. Ohmigod." she said, clapping her hands.

"What has Ms Bubbly so...bubbly?" Zay asked sardonically.

I looked at Lucas a question in my eyes. He nodded slightly and I shrugged off my hot pink blazer. I tossed it to Riley who caught it. I pinched the sides of my black, empire waisted dress and pulled the fabric back making it tight in the front.

"Oh my god! Look at the bumppppp!" Riley squealed holding the P at the end of bump.

"Oh my god, she's pregnant," Zay said, he rubbed the top of his head and looked at Lucas a little disapprovingly.

"Farkle?" I asked. I let go of the dress and it went back to concealing the baby. I put my blazer back on because it really was cold in the building.

"Farkle is very happy for the Maya and the Lucas. Farkle thinks mistakes were made though. Farkle hopes the Maya and the Lucas know what they have gotten themselves into," Farkle says, his voice full of shock.

I laughed and nodded. "Trust me, I know." I pushed the dress down to bump highlighting the top of it. Everyone shared a smile and went back inside.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

I style my curls into loose beach waves and glossed my lips in a shade I haven't in a good three months. I put on a tight dress from before the baby that made the bump look huge. I put a jean vest over it and my grey, chunky heels. I took one of the strips of pictures from the ultrasound and tucked in into my purse.

As I was walking down the hallway Gammy Hart called me. "Where you going girl?" she asked as I peeped into her room.

"Out with Lucas," I said, giving no details.

"He's the baby daddy?" she asked, pausing her knitting to narrow her eyes at me. In my shock, I stepped fully into her doorway revealing the bump because of the dress. "I knew it!" she proclaimed, punching the air. I widened my eyes.

The doorbell rang.

"You have till Sunday to tell your Mom or I will," she said. Then her face softened and she blew me a kiss. "Now, have fun. But not to much fun."

I nodded and went to answer the door. Lucas was standing there in faded jeans and a grey and blue tee shirt, his eyes looking elsewhere and a choco taco in his hand.

"Did you bring me a taco? You brought me a taco. Best date ever," I said, reaching out to take the taco. He handed it to me, placing a kiss on my forehead.

"Hey there, do you have your camera?" he asked me and I nodded and gestured to my purse. I ate quickly so we could get a move on with the date, because I knew for a fact he wouldn't let me eat in his truck.

I finished and licked my thumb. "Thank you for that. I really needed it. Let's go." He nodded and held his arm out for me to take. I smiled and took it, it was really my favorite thing about him, he knew what I like. He knew how to treat me like his queen. Baby was lucky to have a daddy like him.

Once we were in his car and maneuvering around the city he asked me what I wanted to photograph today.

"Well, I want to get a picture of us doing something coupley holding the strip of baby pictures so I can post it on Instagram," I said, looking out my window. My fingers somehow finding his and tangling together.

"Do you really want to put it on social media without telling our parents?" he asked me.

"Yeah. Do you want to tell your mom this weekend? I don't have a choice; if I don't tell my Mom by Sunday Gammy will," I said. He hummed in agreement.

"I'll pick you up at four. We'll probably eat around five. Show the bump but not to much," he said, he was lost in his thoughts his voice told. It was distracted and airy.

"Who you thinking about?" I asked him, the hand that won't tangled in Lucas' found my bump.

"You of course, well and the baby."

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

He walked around with me for hours as I took pictures of the humming city. He would point at hideous things, requesting I turn them into masterpieces. Finally, I ran out of battery and my feet were starting to hurt so Lucas took me to a little taco hut and ordered food for us. He finished much quicker than I did and watched me eat with a serene smile that reached his eyes.

"So what do you want to do about the baby? Do you want to keep it; be a mom?" Lucas asked me, as I took a bite of my burrito.

"I don't know. I've heard horror stories of women who gave up their babies for adoption. Abusive parents, them never being adopted, and how emotionally heard it was on the moms." I countered, setting down the Mexican wrap.

"But won't it be hard to raise a kid? One that relies on us for everything. And what about us, we aren't even together, how would that make the baby feel when it grows up?"

"Raising a baby would be hard but so would dealing with heart wrenching, unstoppable grief over giving up a baby that we never gave a chance."

"What about school, Maya? Being uneducated won't get you a job; no job means no money." He twirled the straw of his lemonade between his middle and pointer finger.

"You heard the doctor, Smart one, I'm due in July. School will be over and I can take online classes come fall."

"Will we get back together? I mean...we… broke up on false pretenses, it could work out."

"I don't know Lucas, you left me once, I can't just give you the power to do it again."

"Maya…" he placed his hand on mine and met my eyes. His were hurt and pleading.

"Let me think about it Lucas, let me think. Now, will you go take a coupley picture with me for the baby announcement?"

"Anything for you," he said.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

We walked back to Central Park, he put a hand on my hip and one on my bump and I put one arm on his shoulder and another holding the strip of pictures out towards the camera, which the man who runs the ice cream cart was holding. Right as the man started counting down Lucas pressed a kiss to my forehead. The man handed my back my camera and I looked through the album to find the picture.

It was a stunning photo, the sunset was a turquoise shade at the top that faded to an orange near the ground. Lucas' face was relaxed and he looked so happy and… in love, maybe. I had my eyes closed to and a gigantic smile on my face with the strip of pictures taking front and center of the shot. It was perfect.

"Thank you Huckleberry,'' I said, taking his hand as we started to walk along the path in the park.

He turned to face me and took my face very gently and brushed his lips against mine. It sent little fireworks off in the area he touched and an energy pulsed through my blood. "Anything for you, Maya," he said. "Please consider being my girlfriend again." He took my hand again and started walking, which I quickly did too.

"If I do, you promise not to break my heart."

"I would never dream of breaking your heart, or Baby's."

"Well then, _boyfriend,_ this has been fun but I'm getting tired so can we wrap it up?" he nodded and took the next turn and led me back to his car.


	4. If That Makes You Happy

_**Lucas POV~1/13/18**_

* * *

Mama was down stairs cooking or something like that when I heard the doorbell ring. I turned over in my bed to check the time, 3:10, which meant it couldn't be Maya; I was going to pick her up at four anyway. I crept to the edge of the loft that overlooked the entryway. Mama was at the door, her apron tied to her waist and a towel tossed over her shoulder.

"Oh, hello Maya. We weren't expecting you over this early," Mama said, stepping to the side a bit.

"Oh, sorry. I just had nothing better to do and the house was getting hot. I thought I'd come over and help you cook or something," she said, her voice small from up where I was sitting.

"That's so sweet. Come in, come in, you can help me make the cornbread." once they disappeared from my line of sight and went to I assume the kitchen Mama called out to me. "Lucas, go ahead and shower. Maya is here, early."

"Yes Mama," I called back to her, and walked back to my bathroom.

When I walked into the kitchen Maya was leaning on the island, picking at the cornbread in front of her and talking with my Mom.

"Hey Maya," I said, sitting down at the bar stool across from her.

"Howdy Ranger Rick," she said, eyebrows quirking up and mischievous smile easing onto her face. I heard Mama silence a chortle.

"So, Lucas said y'all wanted to talk to me," she said, pulling a rack of ribs out of the oven. Maya stood up straight, allowing her outfit to show. She was wearing a knitted grey sweater and a fluffy blue skirt. I sat up a bit and looked at Maya's scared eyes.

"Why don't you serve and sit down first," I suggested. She cocked her head slightly at me but nodded and pulled plates out of the cupboard.

"Lucas, can you pour me a chardonnay and get you and Maya a root beer or somethin'," she said, pulling the ribs apart and placing them on plates. "Maya can you come here and help me serve the collard greens."

We bustled around the kitchen, setting the island and serving food. When we were finally done everyone was laughing over Maya who had dropped a glass that shattered everywhere. We sat down and Mama led us in a prayer and then we tucked in.

"So, what did y'all have to say?" Mama said as she put down her cutlery and looked between us. "Are y'all engaged because y'all are a little young for that."

"No Mama, no ring. Maya, do you want to say it?"

"Lucas… that's not fair," Mama said but Maya had already tugged her skirt down, the bump making itself known. _So that's why her skirt was up so high._

"We're pregnant, Ms Friar." Maya sat back down, fiddling with her plate and silverware but not looking at Mama.

"Oh dear," Mama said. She propped her head onto her hand lost in thought it seemed. "Well ya know, Lucas, Aunt Molly was teen mama. She gave her baby up for adoption. Ruined her."

"That's what I said," Maya cut in. I nodded and Mama folded her hands in front of her.

"On my side, Lucas, Auntie Layla was a teen mama. I think the worst mistake my Mama and Pappy made was not supporting her. Pappy was furious, practically stopped talking to her. Mama didn't want to anger her husband so took his side. Layla gave up and ran away, moved in with her boyfriend at the time. He wasn't bright, had no future no matter what. But Layla did and because she ran away she gave it up.

"Ya see it now, Lucas. She works such long hours at the bakery and her daughter is just as bright as her father. Such a waste of the two of them. So sad. I think the biggest mistake I can make is not supporting you two. Although, I can't say I'm thrilled about this."

Maya and I nodded. "I understand, Ms Friar. Thank you so much."

"Thank you for understanding Mama," I said. She chuckled and cracked her knuckles.

"Now son, if you think you're off the hook you are sadly mistaken little Friar. What on the holy Earth were you thinking having unprotected sex in high school? Did Maya agree to that, did you two considera a baby? Obviously not since here we are," she tiraded, waving a finger in the general direction of me.

I nodded along as she spoke. Her voice wavered every now and then but she tried to keep it level I could tell. "Yes Mama," I said when she looked over at me. She sighed and shook her head gently.

"Oh son." she said a few times. "Well then," she said a moment later, clapping her hands together and opening a drawer in the island to pull out a pen and a notepad. "Maya's due…"

"July 22." Maya traced a circle on the counter with her silver coated nails as she spoke.

"That gives us some time. So you're about," Mama paused to calculate, "twelve weeks." She wrote something at the top of the paper. "And…. it's not fair for one of yous to have to have to conquer that baby alone so an apartment or convert the guest room here. And clothes, diapers, Maya needs prenatals, and she's gonna need new clothes. But a baby shower should get you some baby clothes and diapers, but trust me you'll need more. Baby shower should get you a stroller and carseat too but probably not a crib, but I think I may have Lucas' in storage." she prattled.

I nodded slightly and Maya started talking about little details with Mama but I tuned them out.

"Does that sound good, Lucas?" Mama asked, snapping me back to reality.

"Does what sound good?" I asked cluelessly.

"I swear you never hear a word I say. How does it sound if Maya goes to to her appointments alone and then we'll go with her to the scans?"

"That's good."

Maya and Mama nodded pleased and then went back to chatting.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" I asked Maya as we walked from lunch to fifth period.

"I'm sure, we're only going to talk and measure my belly and take my vitals," she assured me. She turned a few books into her locker and took one more out.

"But what if they do one? What if they have bad news that I should be there for?"

"Then I'll call you. But nothing is going to happen Huckleberry."

"Fine, fine. But let me give you a ride there and some money for a onesie at the shop, please Maya."

"If that will make you happy."

"It will," I promised her. As we separate ways I remember something, "Hey Maya," I call out and she turns around. "How did telling your mom go?"

"Not good," she calls back and resumes walking to art.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

We were in my truck at a red light and Maya was playing around with the radio.

"So how 'not good' did your mom take the news?" I asked her as I eased the car into movement.

"Very not good," she says and I look over to her.

"What do you mean Maya?"

"She's angry and Sean won't talk even talk to me. What if they kick me out?"

"They won't kick you out baby, they love you." I say as we hit another red light.

"I hate being called that. And you don't understand how angry they are."

"You're here, have a good appointment. I'll call you later," I said when we pulled up to the hospital entrance.

"Ok, thanks for the ride," she said, pressing a kiss to my cheek and then jumped out of my truck.

"Hey, careful," I called but she had already closed the door.

I shook my head and drove away, humming along to the radio.

 _You've got the words to change a nation_

 _But you're biting your tongue_

 _You've spent a lifetime stuck in silence_

 _Afraid you'll say something wrong_

 _If no one ever hears it how we gonna learn your song?_

* * *

 **A/N: The song hummed (∧) is 'Read All About It, part II' by** **Emeli Sandé. Name suggestions are still being taken and considered.**


	5. The size of an Avacodo

_**Maya POV~2/9/2018**_

* * *

I eased the door open quietly and stepped into the old apartment warily. I put my other foot in the house and tried to close the door soundlessly. I walked past the small hallway that opened to the living room and coat closet. As I walked past the kitchen I noticed my mom sitting at the old dining table in a folding chair.

"Where were you?" she asked over the rim of her coffee cup.

"The doctor," I said. I kept walking, I could see my room door.

"Oh. I got these for you." She pushed forward a stack of pamphlets. I turned back and flicked through them.

 _Making the Right Choice: A teen's guide to abortion and adoption._

 _The 'A's of Teen Pregnancies_

 _How to Get Your Life Back After an Unwanted Pregnancy_

 _Is Motherhood Right For You?_

 _How to Pick a Family For Your Baby_

 _Will Your Baby Be a Blessing or a Curse?_

I scanned the titles of the brochures, each one worse than the last. I looked up at my mom, eyebrows raised, and taunting and trouble making smirk curling up on my lips. I dropped the brochures in the trash bin and walked to my room.

"Maya Penelope Hart, get back here we aren't done talking about this!"

I closed my door and leaned against it. "Yes we are Mom."

I heard her footsteps come closer to my door. "Why are you being so ungrateful right now? I'm only trying to help you. You have a future greater than nappies and pacies. Why don't you see that you're making a wrong choice?" she said as she pulled my door open.

I turned to face her, crossing my arms protectively over my stomach. "Have you ever considered what I want? What Lucas and I have talked about? The plans we've made? This isn't your choice Ma, it's mine!" my voice raised with every word I spat.

"Maya! How could you say that? I'm trying to protect you don't you understand that?" my mom asked clearly hurt.

"No, because we never talked about it! You just decided I wasn't going to be a mom. I made this mistake, how I deal with it is my choice! I want to give this baby a try, Lucas and I think we can do it and Ms Friar wants to help us.

"Have you learned about abortions it's too late to do that, this baby has a face that moves and makes expressions. Have you learned about adoptions? How much of a toll it could take on me? Because Lucas and I did. We made the choice that is best for our family. Take it or leave it." I was sniffling back tears at this point, looking at my mom like all hope had been lost. I closed the door gently and looked around my crumbling room.

/||\\\

The first thing I did was change. Out with the bump concealing dress and jacket on with a worn out baseball tee shirt (from one of the games Lucas took her to before they broke up) that the bump was barely visible and black, stretchy shorts. Second, I packed a bag with a few days worth of clothes and some basic toiletries. Third, I made a break for it. I took my bag and tiptoed down the hallway, I had my hand on the door knob and was half way out when I heard footsteps.

"Where are you going?" Ma said, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall.

"To Lucas'. Spending some time apart will let us consider each other's opinions. Bye, love you," I said stepping fully outside and closing the door behind me. I walked down the stairs of the shady building, keeping and arm around my stomach and an eye on the men in the surrounding areas.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

I stepped up to the stylish loft in the better part of town, my fingers beginning to tingle and turn blue. I rapped my knuckles across the white door and prayed they weren't asleep yet.

"Maya?" Mrs Friar asked quietly, when she swung the door open.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm not invited but I needed a place to go. Riley won't understand," I said, matching the quietness of her tone. A laugh rung out in the living room of the house. I heard more footsteps come this way.

"Who is it Mama? Everyone wants to know," Lucas' smooth voice asks from behind the Friar matron.

"It's Maya," she whispers to her son, he raised his eyebrows and his mouth formed a small 'O'.

"What are we going to do?" he whispered back. Another laugh rung out from the living room and someone called out asking where they were.

"Take her to her room, she can stay with you in there while your cousins are in the guestroom then we'll mover her there. Maya when he takes you upstairs put on some nicer clothes and come downstairs," Ms Friar paused to think and then she nodded and waved me in. "I'll go distract them, get her upstairs and changed."

She walked away and chattering started up again in the living room. Lucas took my hand and pulled me towards the stairs. We took them two at a time. He opened a door on the left of the hallway and gently pushed me in. He closed the door and let an emotion fill his eyes.

"What are you doing here, Princess?" he asked me walking forward to hug me. I nuzzled my head into the crook of his neck and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"My mom and I… need some time apart. I won't be here long, I promise. I just needed a place to go," I said shakily. I took a deep breath. "Sorry."

"Never apologize, Shortstack. Stay as long as you like. I'll step out while you get dressed."

"Really, I'm having your fucking baby. You can stay." I rolled my eyes but turned a bit as I started digging through my bag. Nothing looked right through. "What is everyone else wearing?"

"Casual. If you have nothing, you left an outfit here a while back. I don't know if it will fit, though." He walked to the closet and dug around until he pulled out a bag.

Inside was one of my favorite outfits; a grey, blazer-like vest with leather sleeves, a black tank top and jeans. I changed and redressed quickly before turning around and looking at Lucas. He scanned me, eyes hard again. He smiled and nodded.

"Do you have shoes?" he asked me.

I looked through my bag again. I pulled out black ankle boots with a little heel. He nodded again and took my hand, leading me out of his room and down the stairs. Right before we turned into view, he pulled me close to him and kissed me. I leaned into the kiss and cupped his cheek in my hand.

"Be yourself, Other One. They'll love you," he took my hand again and pulled me into the living room.

"Maya, how nice to see you," Mrs Friar drawled, her voice with a thicker Texan accent than I ever remember.

"Nice to see you too, Mrs Friar," I said as I sat down next to Lucas on the grey loveseat.

"So this is the infamous Maya Hart?" one of the the girls on the full couch said. I looked over and almost gasped out loud. The two girls were stunning; the type that a guy like Lucas would leave a girl like me for. This on had bleached, crimped curls that fell to her waist, she was wearing a long sleeved crop top and the tightest jeans I've ever seen. I looked over at Lucas warily.

"Yes it is, here in the flesh," he says easily, his hand winding around to the small of her back.

"We've heard so much about you in the last hour," the other one says. She has on a tee shirt dress with a white collar, her hair in a messy but cute bun and wore round glasses.

"All good, I hope," I said jokingly but inside I was shaking with fear.

"Of course, these two love you more than me I dare say," the boy between the girls say. He looks like lucas but with darker hair and eyes. "I'm Jacob, by the way."

I smile at him and fight to keep my hands off the swelling skin of my abdomen. I reasoned with myself that they didn't know about the baby. The evening rolled on smoothly from there, we talked about how college was going for Jacob and the two girls, Kiara and Josie. We talked about Lucas' spot on the high school baseball team and how he might win a scholarship.

Then Mrs Friar noted that dinner should almost be ready, she excused herself to go finish off and serve. 'I'll help.' Josie, Kiara and I chorused simultaneously as we stood up. We laughed it off and filed into the kitchen to help.

"So how far along are you?" Josie asks me nonchalantly as she tosses a salad.

"Yeah, you're glowing," Kiara chimes in, never turning from where she is cutting corn off the cob.

"Umm, I don't think I'm glowing," I stutter as I look at Mrs Friar. She nods me on. "But maybe I am."

"How many weeks?" Josie asks again.

I press the top of the tank top flat against the baby, the bump is just past my chest which makes it still pretty easy to hide. "Fourteen," I gloat a little proudly.

"Aww, that's so close to the gender reveal," Kiara says with an excited squeal.

"I know, Lucas and I can't wait to find out."

"Are you going to post it on Insta, cause I'll follow you to see it," Josie pipes up.

We agree and trade phone numbers and Snap and Insta accounts. Mrs Friar scolds us for getting distracted from our tasks, but her tone is light. We keep talking as we finish up and as we put the food on the table I start humming a song my mom used to sing to me when I was younger.

 _ **So come on, come on**_

 _ **Come on, come on**_

 _ **You've got a heart as loud as lightning**_

 _ **So why let your voice be tamed?**_

 _ **Maybe we're a little different**_

 _ **There's no need to be ashamed**_

 _ **You've got the light to fight the shadows**_

 _ **So stop hiding it away**_

 _ **Come on, come on**_

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

Three days later Jacob, Kiara and Josie pack up and head back on the road to Canada. We have one last breakfast together of pancakes and berries gathered around the TV. I'm in the same big shirt I first arrived in and leggings, sitting criss cross on the floor with my plate resting on the baby. I startled and almost spent the homemade breakfast across the room.

"Are you ok?" Lucas asks, his voice still heavy with sleep.

I nod through a yawn and point haphazardly at the baby. "It kicked, I think," I said when the yawn passed.

Mrs Friar practically flew out of her chair and kneeled next to me, laying a hand on either side of my stomach. She began cooing to the baby, asking it to kick again. A few moments later there was a flutter from with in and Mrs Friar lit up all over again.

"The baby is alive. My grandbaby was kicking," she exclaimed, tears welling in her eyes. I smile at her and rubbed the front of my stomach fondly.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

At the sixteen week check up, Lucas drove me to the hospital and promised to pick me up. I walked up the three flights of stairs to the clinic and sat in the waiting room.

"Hello there Maya, I've got good new for you today," my doctor said as she walked in with the ultrasound technician behind her. "The appointment after you canceled so we have time to give you a scan today!"

"Hey there, Princess," Lucas said, trying to kiss my cheek when I got back into the car after the appointment.

"Hey there Sundance," I said. I held up the envelope in his face. "I got a scan done today and she said they found the gender. But they also said we could come back for our formal scan in four weeks."

He lowered the envelope and looked at me excitement shining in his eyes, fear mixed in too. "Are we going to look?"

I bit my lip and nodded. Lucas popped the seal on the envelope and a little card fell out.

 _Congratulation on your baby!_

 _At sixteen weeks your baby is the size of an avocado or a gerbil and is a…_

* * *

 **A/N: Can't wait to see the baby's gender…**

 **Also, the song is once again "Read All About It."**


	6. Perfect Southern Gentleman

_**Recap:**_ _ **Congratulation on your baby!**_

 _ **At sixteen weeks your baby is the size of an avocado or a gerbil and is a…**_

* * *

 _ **Lucas' POV**_

 _Boy!_

I looked at Maya. She had tears shining in her eyes, her hands clasped together in happiness.

"It's a boy!" she whispered.

"I know, Shortstack, I know. I'm so proud of you for growing this baby," I told her, pushing her hair away from her face to kiss her temple.

"It's not a tumor," she remarked, rolling her eyes playfully. She sunk back into her seat and clipped on her seatbelt. "Where to?"

"Don't know. Wanna go get something to eat?" I asked her as I pulled out of the parking spot and veered into the lanes of traffic.

"Nah, let's go to the onsie place," SHe insisted.

"That would have been helpful to know before I started driving in the other direction." I rolled my eyes but merged through the lanes to the left hand lane where I could make a u-turn. A old and green car halted and I swung the car into the other side of the road.

I drove to the strip of shops where the onsie place was and snagged a street side parking space. We walked into the shop and were greeted by scent of baby powder and laundry detergent. I looked at some walking shoes that were supposed to help balance the baby while watching maya wander around the store out of the corner of my mind. She was rubbing her bump, which hadn't necessarily grown but had rounded, with one hand and touching clothes with the other.

"Hee Haw, c'mere,"she called out. I walked over to where she was holding a onesie just out of my view with an evil grin on her face. "Look."

The onesie had a blue bow tie printed on it and underneath the words _PERFECT SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN_ in all caps. I sighed and accepted the dig at me. "How much do you want it?"

"I want him to wear it the first time he meets all his family in my arms." She was smirking but looking up through her eyelashes in a way that I couldn't resist.

"Okay, okay, buy it." I handed her twenty five dollars and she practically sprinted towards the checkout desk.

I caught up with her and out a hand on her shoulder. "Did you pay yet?"

"Can we buy one of those due date onesies now that we know it a boy?" she asked.

"We don't know it's name yet," I told her, handing the lady the money for the other onesie.

"Holden," she said, crossing her arms and turning to face me.

"Why do you get to decide it just like that?" I asked her, a little confused but mostly joking. The name didn't matter to me as long as Maya thought it would suit our son.

"Because it's my baby." She turned around to grab the receipt and bag from the employee.

"It's my baby too," I told her.

"What do you want to name it then, Huckleberry? Rick Finn? Brooks? Atticus? Beau?" she teased.

"That's mean Maya. I was thinking Mason or James. Something a little less… 1920s Georgian," I remarked, signaling the older woman working the shop over. "Ma'am, we'll take one of those announcement onesies."

Maya beamed triumphantly next to me while the woman nodded. "What date do you want circled in the heart.?"

"July 22nd, please," Maya told her. The woman nodded and typed something into a computer.

"Name and what color?"

"Holden Ryder and blue," Maya said, resting her hands on her bump. The woman nodded and told us we could pick it up next week, she sent us off with a receipt and wishes for a good day.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

"What do you want to do now?" I asked Maya once we were driving again.

"Let's go see my mom. Invite her to the next appointment then maybe go get lunch with Riles," she said, twirling a strand of her hair and looking out the window.

"That sounds good. It's good you're making amends with your mom," I said, making a left and turning out of the good side of town.

Everything about here was darker, like the influence of the town had dimmed the sun over here. The shadows made it cooler and the streets covered in trash and suspicious looking lumps covered in blankets could make anyone shiver. Maya shrunk into her seat, inching away from the window and closer to me. I took one hand of the wheel and took her hand in it.

"Do I have to move back in with my mom if we get back on good terms? I like it with you and your mom. And and…" she trailed. Her tone was suspicious, hopeful and maybe a little scared.

"Any other reasons Maya? Your mom won't permanently give you away because you like it better with us," I told her, but I think I knew what it was. This isn't a good area, after so long away she doesn't remember how to navigate it or fend for herself. She's pregnant now and won't be able to fight soon and here isn't a good place to raise a baby.

"I'm scared Lucas. I don't want my baby to be here for even a second," she whispered and I agreed instantly.

"We'll tell your mom, and grab more of your stuff. That way you can stop doing laundry every two days,"I joked squeezing her hand and then pulling mine back so I could maneuver into a narrow parking spot in front of Maya's family apartment.

We walked up the creaky, concrete, outside stairs to the fourth floor where the apartment was. Maya held my hand tightly, so tightly I felt the tips of my fingers beginning to tingle. She rapped on her old front door with her knuckles and retracted her hand quickly, tucking it back into her jacket pocket.

"Maya," her mom greeted us, her voice shocked but not unpleasant. "Come in, Lucas nice to see you."

I nodded to her and took a step forward as Maya took one. We followed Ms Hart-Hunter into the living room and took a seat on the worn, brown couch while she sat in a newer looking grey chair.

"What do we owe this visit to?" Katy asked, crossing her legs and angling towards us.

"We had a doctors appointment today," Maya stated.

"That's wonderful. How is the baby? Did you get an early gender screening? I got one with you," Katy said, sweetly.

"We did find out the gender Ma'am, but we have a formal gender scan in four weeks that we wanted to invite you to," I said, rubbing Maya's hand with my thumb.

"That's fantastic, I wouldn't miss it for the world," she promised.

Maya hummed pleased and told her mom about wanting to move permanently into my house because of safety concerns for the baby. Katy sympathized and agreed that no baby, that had the option, should be raised like this.

She helped Maya pack in her room while I sat on the couch staring at a picture on the cluttered coffee table. Shaun was holding Katy close to him and she was holding something. They looked so happy, Katy was beaming and Shaun had a priceless expression on his face. I picked up the picture to see what Katy was holding.

I dropped the picture almost instantly. Katy was holding a pregnancy test. I couldn't believe it. As I picked the picture up to put it back on the table Shaun entered the room. He saw what I was holding and almost dropped his coffee mug.

"Don't tell Maya, please don't tell her," he whispered.

"This must have been recently, Katy isn't showing yet," I said. Naively apparently, I did not see what Shaun next said coming.

"It was five months ago. We wanted to wait the three months out, you know miscarriage rates are high in the first three months. Katy is older, at higher risk. But Katy lost the baby about eleven days before Maya told us she was pregnant. We were hurting, we didn't want her to get hurt like that too. We know Maya's strong, she could easily conquer a baby and still get what she wants, but we didn't want her to get hurt." His voice was hoarse, like it was fighting off tears.

I felt terrible for asking, even bringing it up. I was so stupid. "I'm sorry man, I can't imagine losing our s-baby. I know this isn't my place for input, but you should tell Maya she had a sibling. She deserves to know," I said, just as Maya and Katy turned the corner.

"I deserve to know what?" Maya asked, easing the smile off her face.

"How much we love you, popsicle. And how much we regret our actions when we found about your baby. It was wrong and we should have acted like the adults we are," Shaun said so convincingly I felt bad. I nodded and walked to take the bag Maya was carrying from her.

We parted with sincere goodbyes and promises to meet again soon.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

"Are y'all ready to go?" Mama said, keys in the front door.

"Yeah," I said, appearing behind her and making her jumpa little.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Maya called and we heard her light footsteps on the stairs. "I'm here," she said, readjusting the denim overall straps resting on her shoulders over a v-neck, navy t-shirt.

"Good, we have to pick up Topanga and Riley on the way there to so we have to get a move on," Mama said, closing the door as soon as we were all outside of the house. I walked behind Maya and Mama watching their shoes -dirty,whiteish Converse and pink heels- hit the paved sidewalk.

An image, like a daydream, hit me so hard I stumbled. Almost. _It was of Maya holding a little hand walking away like now. They looked the same, blonde hair in waves, jeans and grey sweatshirts. When they reached the car they turned around. 'Any day now, we have to go now,' then Maya said. Her eyes were piercing in a way I'd never noticed before. She had a bump what I imagine a just about to pop women would have. 'Yeah Daddy, Mommy is hurting,' the little boy said. He looked just like Maya but with my eyes._ I took a deep breathe shaking away the vision and the feeling it brought on. I had never noticed how piercing Maya's eyes were.

Or how they made me feel.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Wow, sorry this took so long to update. School has me so, so busy. I'm trying to keep up I promise. What do you think of Maya's name choice? My sister suggested it an I felt like Maya would absolutely love it.**_


	7. High School Sweethearts

_**Maya's POV~ March 15th**_

* * *

"You brought everyone today I see," Dr Gilly said when she and the tech Julia entered the room.

It was admirably crowded in here, Mrs Friar, Lucas, Riley, Ma, Shaun, Topnanga, I and the doctors. "Yep, it's the big gender reveal today," I told the doctor.

"Oh, fun, fun. Any bets on the gender? Mom and dad stay out of it," The tech said, sliding over of a stool next to me and the monitor.

After Mom, Shaun and Riley took the side of a boy and Topanga, and Mrs Friar chose girl the tech started the ultrasound.

"So, not for the big gender reveal," the doctor announced. "It's a… boy. A right on size, healthy looking boy."

"Oh, he's so cute," Topanga said while the doctor was pointing out to us his limbs and head.

"He's the cutest baby I've ever seen," Riley agreed, giving my hand a squeeze.

Topanga whacked her shoulder lightly. "What about your brother?"

"So so," Riley simply said.

The doctor took back over. "Alright, I'm going to do the boring part of Maya's check up now so if any one wants to they can go wait in the lobby."

Mrs Friar, Topanga, Shaun and my mom went to the lobby while Riley and Lucas opted to stay. Julia gave me a paper towel to wipe the gel off my skin and then helped me off the raised bed. Dr Gilly took the measurements of my bump, compared them to last times and asked me a few questions that made Riley squirm.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

We were walking along the sidewalk in our large group headed to Topanga's restaurant to get food when we walked past the onesie shop. "Oh shoot, Lucas. I forgot to pick up the onsie last week, or three weeks ago," I said, grabbing hold of his arm.

"Really Maya?" he asked me, frustrated but not in a mean and angry way.

"Yes, really. Pregnancy brain," I shot back but he was already tuning into the shop and walking towards the back.

The older woman who was usually there was standing at the counter. "Hello there youngins! Thought you forgot about us. Come to pick up the onsie?"

"Yes we did, since Ms Preggers keeps forgetting to come by and grab it," Lucas said lightly, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

"Pregnancy brain at its finest. Here you go and enjoy your day," she told us sweetly and turned to the computer where she had been working previous to our entry.

As we sat in benches in the bakery that Mathews matriarch owned, eating a variety of sweets and light sandwiches before I spoke up. "Don't tell anyone the baby's gender until Lucas and I do the official reveal."

Everyone nodded but agreed it would be so hard not to tell the world.

"Do you have any name ideas? Because I like Timothy and Luca," Riley cut in which got everyone going about name choices.

"Shh. Shush your faces everyone," I shouted when 'shh' didn't work. "We already chose the name of our son."

"Oh, oh what is it?" my mom asked happily, almost bursting with joy.

I looked at Lucas. "We're going to name him Holden. Holden Ryder Friar-Hart," Lucas said.

Everyone loved the name choice and couldn't wait to shower little Holden with love and affection.

After everyone had settled down and a quiet beat had settled over the room my mom whispered something I almost didn't hear. But I did. "We were going to name it Ryder if it was a boy."

"If what was a boy, Ma?" I asked her, putting down my cup of lemonade and looking at her curiously.

"Oh Maya, did I say that out loud?" she asked fearfully.

"Yes?" I answered, I didn't understand why she was so scared.

"You should tell her now Katy, before it slips out of someone else's mouth," Shaun said, caressing her shoulder and kissing her cheek. They were so cute together.

 _I can't wait for them to have a baby. I've always wanted a sibling, like really wanted a sibling._ I thought to myself. _We should definitely give Holden a sibling one day. Emphasis on one day, like once we have secure jobs. And our own apartment._

"Our baby, Maya," Ma said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Like me?"

"No, no. Your would be sibling." Her voice cracked and she sniffled a little bit.

"Would be? Did you have an abortion? When?" I asked, I was suddenly so angry I could flip a table. Why would she deprive me of a sibling when I wanted one _so bad._ If it was recently, before Shaun, when she was with the grubby Jean guy, I could have picked a job. Maybe two.

"No, no, Maya. I know how much you wanted a sibling I would never have an abortion," she said as if she knew exactly what was going on in my mind. (all things considered, she probably did because I was her daughter.)

"Then what happened? When?" I asked, still spitting mad. Then it hit me, like a punch to the gut. "Did you lose the baby?"

She nodded and let a cinematic, single tear run down her powdered cheek. "Nine weeks ago."

 _That was almost a week before you told her you were pregnant, Maya. she was probably so angry because she didn't want you to get hurt._ My brain reasoned. I sympathize with her, I couldn't imagine losing Holden. He may not have been planned but he wasn't, certainly wasn't, unloved. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We didn't want to upset you after the miscarriage, or get your hopes up when it was still alive and then you were pregnant," she said slowly.

"That doesn't matter! It was my sibling, you should have told me," I cried, looking at her bewilderedly. _How could she keep this from me?_

"We didn't even know if it was a boy or girl," Ma tried to reason.

"Do you think I care? It was my sister or brother that I wanted so bad. How could you keep that from me, even when it died? Especially when it died Ma," I said, fighting off tears of my own. I stood up and walked out of the pastry and up a flight of stairs into the busyness of the New York City streets.

I heard Lucas walk up behind me and just stand there. I felt his eyes on me, but he was giving me the space I needed to be angry. He was just great like that. Someday he would make a great husband to some lucky girl.

 _Who are you kidding, Maya? He's going to ask you to get married, you're having his baby and family is everything to him. Plus, you are his girlfriend._ "C'mere," I said, using my hand to gesture him over.

He wrapped an arm around me and rested his cheek on my temple. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

I nodded against him and he pulled me into a bear hug. I leaned up and kissed the tip of his nose. "Let's go home," I whispered to him.

He nodded, took my small hands in his and started walking home. I leaned into his side as we walked in and took his scent in. holden better smell like this when he grew up, no smelly teenage boy thing going on in my house. Our house. Our home.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

"Kick. Any Day now Holden, kick," I said, looking down to my stomach. I had an ice cream bowl rested on the top of my growing bump and was rubbing the exposed skin with the hand I wasn't using to spoon feed myself ice cream. The 'pregnancy B' shape was beginning to form, although it was a very, very small B.

"He's already kicked to know that right or did pregnancy brain wash that away, Other One?" Lucas joked from the dining room where he was putting together the crib.

"Very funny. He hasn't kicked in a while, I'm worried. What if he isn't getting enough nutrient since I switched prenatals," I said, looking over at him. "Are you sure you don't need help with that? It looks inside out."

"It's fine Maya and you need to rest, start saving energy for when the baby wicks your ability to sleep," he said, never looking up from the crib.

"Look at you using big word like'wick'," I said in a teasing manner.

"'Wick' is four letters, I've heard you use bigger curse words, Shortstack," he said, standing up and making his way over to me. He sat down next to me and tuned into the football game the baby and I had been watching.

"Let's do the gender reveal post tomorrow," I said randomly some time in the third quarter of the game.

"On a Monday?"

"Why not?"

Lucas didn't say anything. "Do you think Holden is going to play football or Baseball like me?"

"Would it kill you if he didn't?" I asked him, muting the game and angling to face him. _This could be a deal breaker, folks. He must love the baby no matter what, athlete or not, anything or not. Baby Holden comes first,_ my brain screamed at me.

"No, I was just wondering. He could be a drag queen for all I care," he said, turning to face me too.

"Well when you say it like that it sounds like you don't care at all," I said, furrowing my brow.

"I don't. In a good way, I'll love him and he'll be my son always," He said, putting a comforting hand on my knee.

"Good. Will you really always love him?"

"Nothing could make me stop," he assured me.

"Even if he was gay?" I asked him in a cop-like voice.

"Why do you keep bringing that up?" he asked me, looking up into my eyes. My breathing went haywire. Whether it was the baby or his eyes something was causing me an acute shortness of breath.

 _ *****FLASHBACK*****_

" _ **Would you kick Holden out if he was gay?" I asked Lucas as we picked out a crib in Babies-R-Us.**_

" _ **No, why?" He had answered and pointed to a wooden crib that you could get your baby's name engraved into.**_

" _ **Well I read that out of every six people two will be LGBT+, that means if we have six kids at least one will be," I told him.**_

" _ **If that's what Holden wants, then that ok. Now stop worrying about our unborn son's sexuality and pick a crib," he told me. He had picked up my hand that he had been holding and pressed a kiss to it.**_

 _ *****END FLASHBACK*****_

"Because I'm worried someone in the family will make fun of our potentially gay baby," I told him, my face wrinkling in worry.

"Baby-"

"Don't call me that."

"Princess-"

"Lucas."

"Other One, no family member of mine will make fun of another family member. If they do, we're no longer related to them," he promised me, pecking me on my lips.

I smiled broadly. "Good. now custody, we have to figure all this out before Holden is born. And oh god, he just kicked again," I said to Lucas and then to Holden. "Good boy!"

"What do you mean custody, Maya? We live together," he said. His voice was emotionless but his faced had lost all color and had pure fear etched into it.

"Well I mean one day we're going to break up and when we do we should have a plan," I said, suddenly very uncertain.

"You don't think we'll last?" he mumbled, looking me in the eyes and 'wicking' my breath away.

"Lucas we're high school sweethearts, look what happened to my parents," I said, trying to grab his hand but he pulled it away.

"So you're leading me on. You meant it when we broke up and not when we got back together almost three months ago?"

"Of course I meant it. It's just…"

* * *

 _ **A/N: To be continued…**_


	8. High School Sweethearts Part 2

_**Recap: "Lucas we're high school sweethearts, look what happened to my parents," Maya said, trying to grab his hand but he pulled it away.**_

" _ **So you're leading me on. You meant it when we broke up and not when we got back together almost three months ago?"**_

" _ **Of course I meant it. It's just…"**_

* * *

 _ **Lucas' POV~ March 27th**_

"... you'll find someone better one day and then I'll be the last thing you want around. So when that day happens we should have a plan set up," she said.

I pursed my lips and shook my head sadly. For five years I had treated this girl like my queen and then broke up with her because It thought her being with someone else would make her happy. I love this girl, I've told her that before and having a baby with her only made me love her more. "Maya, don't be brash, there's no one better in the world than you. I want you and if I didn't you wouldn't be here now," I told her.

"But what about Riley, you can take her out to Texas and start a brand new life with eight kids and horses. Or Missy, she's so thin and pretty. Then there's Kiara or Josie, they're older and your charm could definitely win them over," Maya said in the start of a ramble.

"Maya, I want you and only you. I want to walk into family even with you on my arm and Holden in yours. I want to give Holden a sibling, I want play football in the park on Sundays and watch movies on the couch with pizza on Fridays. I want everything for us that you want. I'm not going to find someone else, Maya, I want to marry you one day," I said, using my hand to raise her chin and make her look me in the eye. Her eyes were glistening with tears and my fingers were tingling where our skin was touching. Her eyes made my stomach do somersaults and for the first time since we got back together I found myself thinking about us in the future.

"You promise you won't find someone better?" she asked me.

"I promise, it's you and me for the long run. And Holden," I told her. She nodded and leaned into kiss my lips. I smiled into the kiss and pulled her onto my lap.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

"Where are you applying to college?" I asked Maya one day while we were sitting in the kitchen peeling potatoes for Mama.

"I think I'm going to go online. Maybe FAU or Berkley. I want to be a teacher," she responded, tossing a peeled potato into the pot of water and starting on the next one. She shifted and I could tell her back was starting to hurt her. At thirty weeks she was getting a little more uncomfortable everyday.

"Why online?"

"So I can stay home with Holden while you go to the campus, work a job and hopefully get a vet internship. Then when you come home I can run some of my paintings, hopefully, to the gallery to be hung and sold," she said, never looking away from her potato.

"You've really thought about thought about this," I replied.

She hummed in agreement. "Especially since sleep is coming more and more and more scarcely."

"You should go try and nap, I'll finish the potatoes," I offered.

She looked over her shoulder at the clock on the wall. "Actually I'm going to go get ready to meet my mom for coffee or tea. Giving her another second chance."

"Do you want me to drive you?" The thought of her driving alone in the city scared me, it always has. She may be fierce but I've always worried about her.

"Sure I should be ready soon," she said and set off towards the stairs.

A few minutes later she came back down the stairs in a pink, long-sleeved romper with small hearts on it and pulled on her jean jacket ny the door. "Ready to go?" she asked me, smiling and wrapping her hair up into a messy bun that she secured with a giant clip that I nicknamed 'The Claw', it was a nickname Maya hated and in our normal fashion that's why it stuck.

"Yeah. Yeah let me dry my hands and grab the keys, go wait in the car," I said, wiping my hands on my jeans and walking towards the doorway. I mused about how Maya really did look like a capital B now, but she got furious when I said that outloud once so I kept that thought to myself.

I met her in the car and drove her over to her Mom's apartment where Maya said they would decide where to go from there.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

I was laying on my bed on my laptop alternating between looking at apartments, jobs, engagement rings and vets with open internships. I was looking at an affordable engagement rings that I thought Maya would like when Mama shouted up the stars.

"Lucas your phone is ringin'," She yelled.

"I'm coming," I said, groaning and heading towards the stairs. When I got down the stairs my phone had gone to voicemail but I noticed it was from Maya and redialed. She picked up.

"Hey, Other One, what's up?" I asked, nonchalantly heading back upstairs.

"Lucas, this is Katy. There was an accident, Maya wants you here before the C-section," she said but I had already tossed the phone down racing to put shoes on and grab Maya and Holden's hospital bag that we had just packed yesterday. I doubled back to grab my phone and wallet and took off down the stairs and towards the door.

"I have to get to the hospital Mama, call me if you need anything," I called out to her as I jogged out the door and down to the car. I fumbled with the keys while I was trying to start the car. I was jittery with nerves and couldn't get my breathing to even out.

I drove as fast as I could, driving through narrow alleys and backstreets trying to get to the hospital before they started the C-section. I pulled sloppily into a parking spot on the top floor of the parking garage and ran in a full sprint down the spiraling stories and to the front of the hospital. I skidded to the stop in front of the visitor pass desk.

"Lucas Friar, here to see Maya Hart," I said through gasps for breath.

"Ok, sir, please take a number and a seat we'll be with you shortly," the woman at the desk said.

"Ma'am, with all due respect you don't understand. My girlfriend was in a car accident and they're going to start her C-section any minute. I have to be there when the baby is born," I said, trying not to raise my voice.

The desk lady looked behind her back. "I need you ID and the answer for her security question."

I pulled my ID out of my wallet and slid it over to her. She asked me what Maya hated being called and I answered 'Capital B, princess and baby' one of which was correct. She handed me a visitor pass and my ID back and I ran off for the stairs trying to find Maya's room.

I ran in as they were wheeling her bed towards the door. "Maya," I breathed out. She looked so small in the bed, her hair plastered to her head and a bloody wound with stitches on her exposed stomach. "Sir, can I have a minute with her?" i asked the doctor.

He looked confused but nodded. I walked to her and took her hand in mine. "You're strong, Shortstack. You've got this in the bag, I love you," I mumbled into her hand and then nodded to her doctor who continued wheeling her away.

I sat in the waiting room, well stood pacing the entire procedure until the doctor came into announce that everything went fine and she would be awake in her room with in the next half hour.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

I was sitting in one of those plastic covered doctors office chairs when they wheeled Maya back into her room. She looked drowsy and probably a little delirious but she was smiling. The two nurses pushing the bed left and then only the doctor and another nurse holding a baby -oh my god, my baby- where left in the room with Maya and I.

"You must be Lucas, I am Doctor Green. I performed the C-section since Doctor Gilly couldn't get here in such short notice. Maya did fantastic in the operating room, Holden is doing pretty well considering being born so early. You guys have about ten minutes with the baby, then Caroline over here will come back and take Holden for his first bath and testing. A hour later she'll be back for his hearing test nad if everything looks good you guys should be out of here in four day," the middle-aged doctor said. He gestured to the nurse who walked forward and handed Maya our son.

Her eyes lit up and she started smiling even wider than before. The baby fit right against her like a puzzle piece and she used one of her hands to trace the curve of his face with her finger.

I snapped a picture on my phone of her looking at the baby with such a loving gaze I've only ever seen a few times. She looked stunning in the picture and real life even if she had blood on her gown and stomach and her hair was stuck to her face in weird angles and shapes. "Maya, look up," I said. When she did I snapped another picture that showed the happiest moment of my life.

"C'mere Ranger Rick, we have to count fingers and toes now," she said in a low voice. I walked over to her side and sat next to her on the bed. Ten toes and ten fingers. A perfect baby. "Go to Daddy, Holden. He's going to protect you and I for forever," she said quietly to the baby and handed him over to me.

He was so warm and small, that my heart melted in my chest. "We made this," I said to Maya and she nodded and swatted a few tears from her eyes.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Was this dramatic enough for everyone? Somehow there's still more...**_


	9. Coming Home

_**Maya's POV**_

Nurse Caroline was back ten minutes later like she said she would to take Holden back for his newborn testing. Lucas and I sat together in a happy silence while the baby was out of the room, just holding each other's hands and communicating through our eyes.

"Ready for a year of non-stop screaming?" I asked jokingly but so serious at the same time.

"Never, but I can't wait to try," he said, stroking the top of my hand with my thumb.

"Look who's back!" The nurse called to get our attention from the doorway. She had Holden bundled in one arm and a clipboard tucked under under her other arm. She walked in and handed me my squirming son. "He has very high bilirubin levels, which is concerning in a baby so small so we gave him some light and will be back to do that again tomorrow. His hearing is great, and no detected disease or anything else so we should have you out of here in the normal for days.

"Thank you very much," I said and Lucas nodded in agreement.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

I was fast asleep on our second night in the hospital, Lucas collapsed in a chair and Holden also knocked out in his bassinet in the corner. I woke up to the shrill beeping of a monitor and the persistent pattering of footsteps nearing. Lucas jumped out of his chair and looked over Holden's crib. I pushed up into a sitting position, careful not to rip any IVs out.

"What's going on, Lucas? What's wrong?" I asked, sleep still blurring out the edges of my vision.

"I don't know, Maya. He looks fine, are you okay?" Lucas came over to me and rested his rough hand against my forehead.

The nurses finally entered the room swarming over to Holden's little bassinet. The kept their voices low and their conversations between them. They unlocked the wheels on the small bed and rolled him out of the room without a word to Lucas or I.

"What's going on? Where are you taking my baby?" I called after them, but no one answered. I looked at Lucas and shook my head like I was about to explode. He sat down in the bed next to me and wrapped his strong, sure arms around me and pressed a long kiss to the side of my head.

"Ms and Mr Friar?" A nurse asked poking her head into our room. I had to fight the urge to correct her but nodded instead. "Holden just came out of surgery. We are very proud to inform you he is doing very well and is in fighting shape."

"Surgery? Surgery for what? What happened?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrow and looking at her demanding answers.

"Well looks like Holden fell into a severe sleep apnea fit, stopped his breathing for longer than the monitor was okay with. He had massively inflamed tonsils so we removed them. He may have to stay longer now so we can keep administering his pain meds, but I assure you two, everything is ok."

"Oh thank god, we were so worried. Thank god," I repeated over and over again. The nurse gave me an assuring smile and left the room.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

"He's going home today! Our baby is coming home today, Lucas!" I said, tapping Lucas' arm incessantly as we stood in front of the check-out desk.

"I know, I know. You know I listen to what the doctors say too, right?" he asked, pressing his hands down on my shoulder to stop my bouncing.

"I know, I know. Oh look, Lucas there he is," I said, pointing to a older volunteer who was carrying Holden towards us.

He had definitely grown in the month he had to stay at the hospital. But he was caught up to where he should be age wise and healed completely from his surgery. The volunteer took Holden around to behind the desk where the check out nurse weighed and measured him one more time. She smiled and had Lucas and I sign some release forms. She handed us an envelope with our son's birth certificate and papers and then handed over our soon. I had to push up onto my toes to reach how high the nurse was holding him.

But when I finally had him in my arms I showered him in kisses and pretended not to notice when Lucas pulled out his phone and started taking pictures.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\

 _ **TWO MONTHS LATER**_

"Wakey, wakey, Momma. Can you say that Holden?" I heard Lucas say from over me. "Wait no, of course you can't you're like two months old."

"Morning my loves," I said, yawning and looking around Lucas'/my/Holden's room. I reached up and took Holden, curling him up against me for an early morning cuddle.

Eventually, Lucas joined us and then even latter we got up and wandered downstairs.

"Morning, Mrs Friar," I said, setting Holden into his highchair. "Happy Mother's Day."

"Happy first Mother's Day to you, Maya," she said, kissing my cheek and then ruffling Lucas' hair. She pulled a bottle out of the fridge and put it on the tray in front of the baby. "Did you see Holden's onesie?"

"No?" I said around a bite of peach. I put my fruit down on the wooden table and lifted Holden up. I gasped when I saw the onsie my baby was wearing. It was a blue-grey and had black block letters that said 'Happy First Mother's Day! Love, Holden Ryder.' "that's the cutest thing ever," I remarked.

"I knew she'd like it,"Mrs Friar remarked and places a plate of eggs and hashbrowns in front of Lucas and I.

"It's perfect, thank you guys," I said and sloppily kissed Holden's cheek.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

 _ **TWO MORE MONTHS LATER**_

"Morning, morning," Lucas said as he hopped down the last few steps.

"Morning hun," I said. I wiped a spot of peach baby food off Holden's cheek. "Hey, can you grab me another towel."

"Sure thing," he said and tossed a towel in my general direction.

"Did you hear from the university?" I asked, making exaggerated plane movements with my hand to get Holden's attention on the food.

"No," he said glumly.

I didn't look away from the baby I was attempted to feed but shook my head a little. "I'm sure there was a good reason. There's always next year too," I assured him.

My laptop - which was sitting on the counter and open - chose that moment to beep. The alert startled me and Holden, which caused him to start wailing and me to whirl around and check it.

 _Maya Hart,_

 _It is with our greatest pleasure to inform you that_

 _You have been excepted into the 2018-20 class of_

 _NYU's teaching Associates program._

 _Sincerely,_

 _NYU admissions staff._

"Momma got into NYU. momma's gonna be a teacher!" I exclaimed dropping the spoon of baby food I was holding.

"Maya!" Lucas exclaimed and I don't know exactly what he meant by it but I leaped into his arms and kissed him on the lips squarely.

"Momma's gonna be a teacher! I exclaimed again when we pulled away. I picked Holden up and spun him around.

We held our impromptu dance session until Mrs Friar walked in and looked at us with a baffled expression.

"Maya got into NYU!" Lucas exclaimed and Mrs Friar gasped so loudly I swear all the glasses cracked a little. She jumped up and down and kissed my forehead and then joined us in semi-organized dancing around the small kitchen.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

 _ **EIGHT MORE MONTHS LATER**_

"And sign here and then the house will be yours," The suited man said handing me an absurdly heavy pen. His gaze was expectant, demanding me to sign the contract that my hands were laying on.

I looked at Lucas who was holding a squirming Holden. He nodded and I took a deep breath. I signed my name on the line and slid the papers back to the agent.

He flipped through the stappled packet one more time and then nodded. He dug around in his pocket and then slid two keys forward. "Congratulations on your new home, Maya and Lucas," he said, standing and leaving us alone in our new house.

/||\\\/||\\\/||\\\

 _ **NINE MORE MONTHS LATER**_

"Come on Holden, hold still so Mommy can dress you," I said, trying to hold the squirming toddler down long enough to pull pants on.

"Nooooo," he wailed, starting to kick his legs. Very, very close to my face, if I can add.

"Sorry that took so long, babe. I think the cold is still bothering him," I said to Lucas handing over our soon so I could pull my jacket on.

"Aww poor baby. Are you feeling sickey?" Lucas said in a playful baby voice to Holden who only wailed in response.

"We should take him to urgent care on the way to your mom's house," I said, grabbing the keys to Lucas' truck and opening the door.

Lucas nodded in agreement and tried to wrangle the screaming baby into his carseat.

Finally we got to the urgent care center, where I had to check in and then take an iPad to answer a questionnaire on. Fifty-two questions later, I handed the iPad in and then was told to wait a few more minutes. I was bouncing Holden on my knee trying to get him to stop the tears. Soon, he started wet gurgling, a sound I noticed all to well. Vomit exploded out of his mouth.

"Oh no baby," I said, rubbing his back.

Lucas reached into the baby bag and grabbed some wipes and a cloth. He was starting to wipe us down when Holden threw up again.

"Oh Jesus," I mumbled under my breath.

"Will you marry me?" Lucas blurted out.

I started laughing uncontrollably and tears pricked at my eyes. "Of fucking course," I said.

Holden threw up again and Lucas and I bursted out laughing all over again. A few people clapped and hollered, and the nurse finally came and called Holden's name. We stood up and I swear I saw her sway on her feet a little. I laughed again to myself and couldn't help how thinking how much this felt like home; Lucas, Holden and I together. They were my home.

* * *

 _ **A/N: And that's a wrap. Thank you so much to everyone who read, liked, followed reviewed. It meant so much to me. Thank you for reading and feel free to leave constructive criticism in the comments. 3**_


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